Forever May We Run
by Adrian Jade
Summary: Sequel to Count on Me. They were both given a second chance to live a happy life in different ways. But a year into their marriage they have hit a road block. After everything they have been through can they withstand this one?
1. Chapter 1

John walked into his home. It had been a few weeks since he had been there. Music was blasting from the stereo. He left his bags by the front door and ventured deeper into the house. He had to bite down on his hand to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter. There was his wife dusting the living room wearing one of his throwbacks. She was singing along with the song while dancing horribly. She spun around and saw him standing there. She let out a small scream of fright before her hand flew to her heart.

He rushed over to her. "Baby I am sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Is your heart ok?"

She scowled at him. "Yes my heart is fine." Then she popped him in the arm as hard as she could. "Do not do it again."

He winced and rubbed his now sore arm. "Yes dear." Oh yes it was great to be home.

-

"So how did your doctor's appointment go last week?" John asked as he took a bite of his pizza.

"Good. I am perfectly healthy. My heart is doing great. I was actually asking my cardiologist about cutting down on the meds."

At the mention of cutting down on the medications John became alarmed. "Why would you want to do that?" He in no way wanted her to have any sort of rejection.

"Well I mean we are married and let's say we decided that we wanted to have kids. There is no possible way all those medications would be healthy for a developing fetus."

"Wow." Was she really talking about kids already? How long had they been married? A year, that was way too soon for kids.

"You ok?" She asked a little worried.

"Kids really?" The moment he said it he regretted it. She looked furious with him.

"Did you really just say that?" She glared at him. He visibly swallowed and thought about what to say next.

"It's not that I don't want kids or anything. It's just that we just got married and with your heart I just think it's too risky."

"I'm going to bed before I say something I might regret later. I suggest you do not follow."

"So happy to be home." He said to himself before he let out a huge sigh.

-

"Mick, do you think I am being too over- sensitive about this? Or is he being a huge asshole?"

"I am Switzerland here Honey." She stated as she bounced her ten month old son Zachary Edward Cena on her knee. "Speaking as someone who has been pregnant and went through twenty hours of horrific labor to deliver a nine pound baby I think it's safe to say it takes it's toll on your body. But I do not believe that anyone has the right to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own body."

"Is it so wrong for me to want to give Zachy a little cousin to play with?" Whitney asked holding her hands out for her nephew."

"It is if it kills you." Mickie handed her son over.

"Way to bring the room down Mickie." Whitney said. She knew Mickie had a point but she was not about to give up.

"Well you are my best friend and I really do not want to lose you."

"I get your concerns and I promise not to do anything drastic but I really do not see why I cannot do this. I am young and healthy and my heart is fine."

"I suggest you and John sit down and discuss this and then start talking to your doctors."

"We will I promise."

She shuffled into the room. John was sitting at his desk. The moment he saw her he removed his glasses. He had recently had to start wearing them and he hated it. It made him feel old.

"You can put them back on." She held up her hands in defense. "I will not make fun of you this time."

"So you are speaking to me again." He was still a little miffed about having to sleep on the couch the night before.

"I don't want to fight about this John. I get that you are all worried about my heart and all that jazz but-" He cut her off before she could say anything else.

"When I lost Mia my whole world was sucked into a black whole. I had no reason to be happy or excited about anything. But then you came into my life and made me want to live again. If anything happened to you I don't think I could survive that."

"I totally get that." She went over and sat on his lap. "But for once I just want to be normal. I want to be your normal wife who gives birth to your normal children. I realize that I am always going to be the girl who had a heart transplant but why can't I be the girl who had a heart transplant and a baby as well. I am not saying let's get me knocked up right here and now. I want to talk to my doctors obviously. But I want you to meet me halfway here. If the docs say that it is too dangerous then I will consider surrogacy or even adoption but can't we at least agree to try the normal way first?"

"I get that this is important to you and I will agree to talk to the doctors with you but that is all I am agreeing to." He remarked. "When it comes down to it I would rather have you live a long happy life then have a child."

"Sure you say that now but I think one day you would start to resent me."

"Baby I never could." He kissed her cheek. "I love you too much."

"Well I am happy that you are at least agreeing to see the doctors with me. That is all I can really ask for at the moment."


	2. Chapter 2

They sat in her cardiologists office. He had yet to grace them with his presence. Whitney was hopeful, she was so sure that her doctor would side with her. John sat next to his wife, although he had agreed to come with her and hear what this doctor and her normal Primary Care doctor had to say he was still very against the idea of trying to have a baby naturally.

"Why does anyone make appointments anymore." John bitched. Whitney looked over at her husband and rolled her eyes. Could he be anymore blatantly miserable.

"John- Whitney. I am so sorry to keep you waiting. We had an emergency at the hospital that just threw my whole schedule off. But everything is alright now." Whitney was very fond of her doctor. His name was Jackson Winters and he had been with her since she had been first diagnosed with heart failure. He was an older man with snow white hair and a wrinkled face. But when he smiled everyone around him was at ease.

"It's alright Dr. Winters." Whitney assured him. "We are just glad you were able to see us on such sort notice."

"So I believe that last time you had asked me about cutting down on your medications." Whitney nodded. "Well I have been looking into your specific situation and there is really not much to tell you." The young woman frowned. This could not be good. John shifted in his seat. He was now very interested in what this particular man had to say.

"There are very few studies on women who have become pregnant after having heart transplants. This what I do know. You cannot cut down on your meds, that is plain and simple. We can try to look into different medications if you should choose to go ahead and get pregnant. But your body needs your immunosuppresants and your steroids."

"But from the little studies there are out there how many of the mothers and babies died?" Whitney asked.

"Well for the most part the mothers have survived birth. Out of maybe one hundred and thirty nine cases only four women have died." Whitney looked at John. Making sure that he had heard what the doctor had said. " But also of those same cases there were four miscarriages and six abortions for medical reasons."

"What would be the risks to the baby because I am taking these drugs?" She asked. Even with all the facts being laid out on the table like they were she still felt hopeful. She knew she could do this. The hardest part she felt was going to be getting her husband to agree.

"There really isn't much know about that either. There are no reported birth defects caused by any of the medications that you are taking. But that does not mean there aren't any. This baby will probably not be born full term. Like any premature baby low birth weight is always an issue. Underdeveloped organs is another."

"Have there been any serious complications reported of the mothers while they were pregnant?" John decided to throw a question out there.

"The biggest problem I saw while researching would have to have been high blood pressure which in most of the cases lead to preeclampsia. There has also been rejections and kidney dysfunctions."

"But I am healthy right?" She asked her doctor. "You said it yourself that my heart is working perfectly."

"Yes it is." The older man agreed. "I am just pointing out that this will be a very high-risk pregnancy. Which will require weekly checks of your blood pressure, constant blood work and fetal monitoring. If this is something you choose to do then I will be with the two of you every step of the way. But all this is very serious and could be very dangerous. I suggest you two go home and think about everything I have told you. Then together you make a decision."

"We will Doctor." Whitney promised. "And thank you again for taking time out to research this and explain to us the risks."

A/N: I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. I also apologize for taking so long to update. I have been spending a lot of time researching the whole transplant/pregnancy topic. Everything I have written out in this chapter is pretty much what I have learned from all that research. I hope you enjoyed it.


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